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Obesity and waist circumference

Researchers say the ratio of waist to hip circumference is three times better at predicting the risk of a heart attack than body mass index (BMI)

14 11 2005

Sometimes when I read a medical journal on your behalf, I'm thrown. I find something I took for granted, isn't by others. For instance you like me probably think everyone knows that when you're fat what counts is whether you have a fat belly.

Well a group of international researchers weren't so sure and went off to do a 52 country study comparing 27,000 people some of whom had a heart attack and some of whom hadn't.

And after all this, they confirmed what you and I knew already. It's bad to have a fat tummy. In fact when compared to a measure of obesity called body mass index, the ratio of waist to hip circumference was three times better at predicting the risk of a heart attack.

Waist size by itself was okay as a measure but not as good as the ratio. Conversely being big around the hips is protective.

What's not known mind you is whether losing that flab on the abdomen is life saving. That's an act of faith.